Carbonized Energon
by The Drastic Raven
Summary: After being turned into a weapon by the Decepticons and escaping their clutches, Stripes, the BMW M3 GTR, now searches for his place in the world. Actively sought after by both the Autobots and the Decepticons, fate has much more in store for him than he could have imagined.
1. Prologue

Transformers

Carbonized Energon

An NFS Most Wanted/Carbon/Transformers Prime Crossover

Prologue

A need for speed

Stripes, a white and blue BMW M3 GTR, pondered over his new-found existence as a Cybertronian. He didn't want this. He didn't want to get dragged into a million-year-old war for power. He didn't want any of it. He couldn't have any of it on his hands. There he stood, in robot mode, on the edge of a large plateau, overlooking Carbon Canyon, tears of energon running down his faceplate.

"Damn you, Megatron... Damn you..." He sobbed. His tears did not cease to flow. He had barely escaped the clutches of the Decepticons, the badge they had imprinted on his chest etched, scratched, and worn beyond recognition. He was not going to be part of their conflict. He was no one's pawn. His hand clenched into a fist of rage as sadness and despair coursed through his circuits. He heard car engines revving through the canyon. Street racers. They were always challenging each other in the canyon. Contests of skill. He remembered when he was one of them. When he was human...

How he longed for his humanity. Granted, he didn't have much of a life as human street racer. It wasn't much of a life, but it was much more than he had now. Back then, he had some acquaintances, a girlfriend, a crew, even some money. Now, that was all gone. They had taken everything from him... He missed them all: Nikki, Neville, Samuel... He even missed Cross! Cross, of all people!

It had been several months since his change to a Cybertronian. Even more months since his last meet up with his old crew in Palmont: the Shifters. He wondered how they were all doing. His human picture was all over the news: everyone was looking for him since his last encounter with the law. It wasn't pretty. He had to outmaneuver undercover cops in that one. Street racing units. That was when he encountered Megatron and his faction.

He was grabbed straight out of his car, the roof torn off after he had scanned it. They somehow had knocked him out. The next thing he knew, he woke up like this: A freak of science and nature.

They beat him, tried to break him many times over, but he kept his patience as best he could. He waited for an opportunity to escape, and he found it. Now he had finally found his was back to palmont, only to find they had officially declared him dead. He had driven by his grave; A simple headstone decorated with a big block engine engraving, the name reading clear in the stone: Manuel Lopez.

He tuned his radio to a station he usually listened to when he drove. It was playing an opera song he recognized: Sarajevo, by Max Richter. At first, it only seemed to deepen his sorrow. But then, he saw a light. A light within his soul, his very being.

"Megatron..." He whispered. "You took everything from me. But I won't let you control me, as my friends are with me, now and forever. No longer will I be afraid. Somehow, I will find strength, find guidance. I will not let what you did to me mold me into what you wanted me to become. I will not give up... I will triumph!"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Angel's Highway

Route 444

Jasper, Nevada - City Limits...

Bumblebee drove down the lone highway, on alert. Optimus and the Autobots were all on patrol once more, readying themselves once again for a Decepticon attack that they felt was coming.

Somehow, Megatron had returned again, though something was different about him. Bee couldn't place his finger on it, but he knew something was different about him. Oh, well. It didn't really matter. He had his pipes back at least, so he could speak again. Thank Primus for that.

At that moment, a blue and white modified sports car blew by him at insane speeds! Bumblebee could have sworn he was going at least one-hundred and sixty! He started after the car, but it sped up. He recognized the make: A BMW M3. It was clearly modified: Spoiler, body kit, custom exhaust...

Then he noticed when he scanned the car that it didn't have a driver! Was this a new Decepticon? He sped up alongside the car, which seemed to keep increasing speed as they rapidly approached the city of Jasper.

Finally, the BMW hit the brakes, and went into a flawless drift on the exit ramp. It then took off once again, engine howling as it tore down the street, Bee still in pursuit.

Bee chased him down to the suburbs. Where were the cops in this city, he wondered? They tore through neighborhoods, catching much unwanted attention from close calls as they drifted through corners with racing precision.

As they got back onto a highway, Bee had finally had enough of this car's game. He pulled up and made a pit maneuver. The BMW attempted to correct itself, but it was futile. It spun around from the sudden loss of traction on the rear wheels, and stopped as it slid off the road into the dust. Then it transformed! Bee followed suit, ready for combat, but the opponent wasn't making any hostile moves! Instead, it was laughing! Though it wasn't a sinister laugh; more of a laugh of glee, or humor! As if it was amused!

"Well, no one's ever been able to keep up with me like that before!" The bot laughed. "Good pit, by the way! Not even Cross could do that to me!"

Bumblebee kept his guard up. He noticed the badge on his chest, but it was so scratched up and worn, the symbol wasn't even legible. Even the color was faded from what appeared to be intentional wear and tear.

"Well? Are you going to introduce yourself? Because I know you're not one of _them._" The other bot asked, a smile on his faceplate.

Bumblebee was silent. One of who? What was this bot's game?

"Hello?" The unidentified bot waved his hand. "Do you even speak?"

"Yes, I can speak!" Bumblebee snapped in annoyance. "And I'm the one who should be asking the questions! Who are you? Are you a Decepticon?"

The other bot gave Bee a sour look. "Do I _look_ like a Decepticon?" It asked in annoyance. "My name is Stripes, by the way. Do you like Eurobeat?" Stripes then tuned his radio to a euro hits channel. As it played a remix of L' Aiuola, Stripes started to dance.

Bee's processor felt like it was ready to crash. Whatever he was, Stripes' behavior wasn't making any logical sense whatsoever. His carefree attitude reminded him of Miko.

"Enough dancing!" Bumblebee said, starting to worry that someone might see them. "Go back to vehicle mode and follow me..."

Stripes chuckled. He did as he was told, and followed Bumblebee to where he was taking him: The Autobot base.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Drifter

On board Nemesis...

Megatron held his cannon up to Starcream's face. His patience was at an end.

"You claim you've scanned the whole planet, yet you haven't found _any_ trace of him?!" He snapped. "He couldn't have just vanished into thin air!"

"My liege..." Starscream begged. "Please, forgive me... I-I will send out recon teams, and scout the planet personally. We won't rest until we find him..."

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU JUST STANDING HERE, FOR?!" Megatron roared. "_FIND ME MY PROJECT_!"

Starscream ran off of the bridge with haste to organize a recon team. Megatron slammed his foot down in disgust, and sulked down into his throne with a disgusted groan. He was so angry, he could feel the energon and coolant pumping through his systems.

"Idiot..." He sighed, slowly calming himself. "Sometimes I wonder if he knows his intake from his exhaust..." He turned to see Soundwave walk up next to him.

"Yes?" Megatron said with an unenthusiastic deadpan. Soundwave then gave him a small report. He had found someone who could help to track down their escapee. A human, dubbed as "Cross." Megatron felt pleased by this new news. He'd need to see this human in person.

"Bring him to me." He ordered.

Autobot Base

Jasper, Nevada

Optimus looked over the scans as he saw Bumblebee approach. He was with another bot.

"Wonder who that is?" Ratched said, watching them enter the base. He figured the other bot was fairly young, considering the disguise he had taken up: A modified BMW M3 GTR; A "punk car" as he would have put it.

Jack and Arcee watched Bee enter with the new bot. They changed to robot mode, and saw the mangled badge on his chest. They couldn't tell whether it was an Autobot or Decepticon insignia. It was just too mangled to make out.

"Who are you?" Optimus asked, approaching the bot.

"Stripes." The bot answered casually. He looked around. "Nice pad." He went over and found a place to sit down, propping his legs on a rather large crate, arms behind his head.

"Are you a Decepticon?" Ratchet asked, ever cautious. "You don't have any I.D. Markings."

Stripes lowered his head. He appeared to relax, but his processor was racing to come up with a believable explanation. All he knew about them was the war... Yes, that's it!

"No, I'm not a Decepticon. I'm just a drifter... I've been looking for a planet to call home for a while. For many vorns. I wasn't part of the war. Just wanted to find a place to settle down... And that was long before the Decepticons showed up here." He lied smoothly, showing no signs of unease.

Bulkhead was angry. "Why didn't you do something?! You could have helped us!"

"I didn't want to get involved." Stripes said flatly. "The war is not my problem."

Optimus knew there was more to this bot than there seemed to be, but knew he was not a threat to anyone here. At least not at the moment.

"Your appearance is a surprise to us, though not unwelcome." Optimus said. "We've been searching for someone. You might be able to help us, Drifter."

Stripes took a look at Optimus without moving from his relaxed position. "How so?"

"The Decepticons have begun to abduct humans. We don't know why though. However, we believe we know their next target: a former law enforcement officer. Goes by the name Cross."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Crisscrossed

Stripes's optics lit up brightly, as he nearly fell off the metal crates he was siting on. Cross?! Of all people they had to go after, they chose Cross?!  
"Why..." He murmured, sitting up.

"Well, that got his attention." Arcee said sarcastically.

"He's not the only one they've abducted recently." Optimus continued. "Two other humans have been abducted by them. We got there as soon as we could, but we were unable to save them... All we could get from them were their names: Clarence and Darius."

Two other humans... That wrenched Stripes to the core. But why Darius? And Clarence... They couldn't be talking about Razor, could they?

"Is something wrong?" Optimus asked.

"I..." Stripes struggled to get the words out. "I... got my disguise from one of Razor's stolen cars... I also raced with Darius once. They... They were skilled drivers..."

"How do you know?" Arcee asked.

"Because I raced against them before." Stripes answered. "Though I used a different disguise both times..."

"Then that means you must have come across Cross." Ratchet deduced. "We know about that whole blacklist bit in Rockport. It was all over the news."

So they knew about Rockport. Stripes sighed. "Yeah, you could say I'm on his 'most wanted list.' "

"Then it appears you may be able to make amends with this opportunity, drifter." A voice said. A human then stepped out from behind a corner.

It was Cross. Stripes nearly short-circuited. "Didn't you say you were just searching for him?" He asked.

"We lied." Arcee said simply. "We needed him to help find you. After all, you are on his 'most wanted list.' "

"I heard you tell your story, pinstripes." Cross said. "However, some things about it seem to rub me the wrong way."

"Why is that?" Stripes asked.

"Call it 'former cop intuition.' Old habits die hard, as I'm sure you know." Cross said in a cocky way.

That's when alarms started to go off. Bumblebee looked up from a monitor.

"Decepticons incoming!" He shouted.

Oh great, Stripes thought. They found me again.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Boxed in

Junkyard

Jasper, Nevada

Stripes bolted upright out of recharge. He got up off of the cold ground where he lay. It was all a dream. Cross... The Autobots... Everything. Except for his escape from the Decepticons.

But why had Megatron done this to him, he continued to wonder. Why make him Cybertronian? Why take everything away from him just to do this? What purpose did it serve?

He looked around, and felt relief that no one else was around. He doubt anyone would be friendly to a freak of nature like him. These nightmares were getting to seem all too real. He started to think he was losing his mind.

"I need to get out of here," he thought. "I need to drive."

So he changed modes, got out of the junkyard, onto the highway, and did exactly that. The road was long and lonely, no other cars were on it. It was a desolate highway, and the night was still young.

He drove for several hours, doing well to keep at the speed limit. He didn't need any more heat on him, the way things stood now. More heat, meant more attention, and that would surely attract Megatron.

That's when he saw the same car ahead of him he saw in his dream; A black and yellow hot rod! Stripes did his best to retain his composure. It's probably just coincidence, he thought. Just coincidence, nothing more.

He passed it without event, as it was going twenty under the speed limit. He remained calm.

That's when he saw a roadblock up ahead, with a rescue vehicle, a SUV, and a motorcycle. Looked like an accident. He immediately went to turn around, but the yellow and black hot rod blocked his path. What the hell, he thought. He blared his horn, but the other car didn't move.

Then, the hot rod transformed into a robot, just like in his dream!

"Don't be afraid..." It started to say.

But the words were too late. Stripes peeled out, and went off road into the dust. The next thing he knew, the green SUV pulled up alongside him, with the motorcycle, which didn't have a rider, and emergency rescue vehicle. They boxed him in against a canyon rock face, and transformed as well!

Stripe had no choice but to change as well. He transformed into robot mode, and got into a fighter's stance; He had taken martial arts classes when he was human. Never expected to use them in a giant robot fight.

"Easy, we're not here to hurt you." The green one said.

Right now Stripes didn't know what to think. Then, he felt weak. The Cybertronian equivalent of dizziness. He fell to one knee, trying to keep up his balance.

"Here, let me take a look at you..." The emergency bot stepped forward.

Stripes turned his left arm servo into a Gatling gun. "Get away! Don't come any closer!" He held it up weakly. He may have been dizzy, but he could still inflict some damage with his weapon.

"We know your scared, but you don't need to fear us," The yellow bot said. "I'm Bumblebee. We're Autobots, from the planet Cybertron. We're here to help you. Remember the dream?"

Stripes' looked at Bumblebee, bewildered. How did they know about that?

"That was us." Bumblebee continued. "We were using some new technology we came up with to find you. It reaches into your subconscious, your very spark. Trust us, Manuel, we're not here to hurt you."

They knew his name. His human name. But how? Stripes' felt like he was going to black out; stasis hovered over his chassis. He couldn't hold up his Gatling gun. He let it fall to his side, transforming it back into his servo.

"What's wrong with him, Ratchet?" Bumblebee asked the emergency bot. Ratchet slowly walked forward, and turned his arm into what appeared to be a scanning tool, running it across Stripes' chassis. Stripes didn't protest, he could not even stand, after all.

"He's suffering from extreme energon deprivation." Ratchet answered. "Seems he's gone for months without some. Also needs some repairs on his intake. It looks... rattled." Ratchet then got out a small, purple cube, popping off the top in a similar way to a soda can. "Drink this."

Stripes wasn't sure what was going on anymore, but knew he felt the human equivalent of thirst. He had felt it for some time. He had drunk gasoline wherever he could get it, but it wasn't enough. He still had felt weak when he was in robot mode. Besides that, gasoline was bitter. No matter how fresh it was. So he cautiously took the cube into a shaky hand, looking over the purple fluid inside. It looked strangely enticing. He drank. It tasted heavenly, like fine fruit juice. He felt it warm his fuel tank.

"Months without energon... How did he survive?" The motorcycle bot, whom was female, asked.

Ratchet continued to scan. "It appears he's been surviving off of a petroleum-based fuel. Gasoline."

The green SUV bot cringed. "Nasty... No bot should have to live off of that."

Stripes finished downing the contents of the small cube. He looked at Ratchet.

"...Thank you." He said. "But why help me?"

"Because we, like you, want to know why Megatron did this to you." Bumblebee answered. "Smokescreen, I need a ground bridge. We found him."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Trip

_Salvation _-Autobot Scout Ship

En route back to Cybertron...

At first, Stripes was a bit uneasy about leaving earth. Bumblebee couldn't blame him; It was natural to feel fear after leaving everything you've known behind. He walked down to the lower deck of the scout ship to the med bay, seeing Ratchet putting Stripes through repairs, his chest open. He wasn't complaining, either. Bumblebee knew a troubled soul when he saw one, and Stripes fit every definition of the term in his databanks.

"You'll need to take it easy for a few solar cycles while I repair your intake." Ratchet said to him.

"How long is a solar cycle?" Stripes asked, a little confused.

"Twenty-four hours." He answered, getting to work. "Now, just what were you doing all that time? Your intake is so jarred out of place it looks as if you were ramming cars out of your way in vehicle mode..."

Stripes put on an all-too-innocent-poker-face. He had gotten into a bit of a pursuit before he had been found, and had to ram his way through a roadblock. That's why he was at the scrapyard. He was hiding.

"So, I hear we've got a new bot." Bumblebee turned to see Knockout walking past him into the bay. Knockout then made the creepiest comment he would ever hear, his voice smooth.

"Wow! Looks like I'm not the only one who looks good in steel-belted radials..."

Stripes' fans immediately kicked in. His facial expression was predictable. He had what Miko or Jack would call an "omg!" look. Ratchet however, just looked at Knockout with irritation.

"How about you just help me with his repairs?" He said through his clenched jaw as patiently as possible.

"Of course." Knockout replied, walking up to the other side of the berth Stripes was laying on. "Let's see what we got..."

Stripes was immediately uncomfortable with Knockout hovering over him.

"We will have to put you into standby mode for the repairs." Ratchet said as he hooked Stripes up to a monitor.

"Standby? What is..."

He didn't get to finish as his optics faded out and closed. He was put into standby mode. Ratchet looked over to Bumblebee, whom was standing in the doorway.

"He'll be fine." Ratchet said. "Don't worry."

_010001001111101010101010111101100110_

_Stripes was blinded by light all around him. There was a figure in the distance. What was going on? The figure walked up to him. It was an Autobot, colored blue and red, he could barely make it out through the stinging light. It had a look of happiness on it's face, optics warm and welcoming._

_"__We've been waiting for you." It said in a deep voice, clearly male. Other figures then walked up behind him. They circled around them, and they all bowed their heads. The light faded, and Stripes saw where he was._

_He was in the middle of a grand Cybertronian city, on top of a large tower. He could see every part of the city, towers which seemed to stretch on for miles upon miles, flying vehicles and monorails crisscrossing against the skyline. The blue and red Autobot then said one thing._

_"__Welcome home."_

_10000110100011101011101100000101010_


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Memory

Stripes came out of standby, sitting up. He was in the med birth, his chest plates closed. The repairs were complete. What was that dream about? He wondered. What did the big red and blue bot mean by "welcome home?" How long had he been out? He looked to his left, seeing Ratchet at a nearby table, doing something with a bunch of computers.

"How are you feeling?" Ratchet asked, looking over in Stripes' direction.

He was unsure how to describe it. "...Fully charged."

Ratchet then walked over, his scanning tool out again. "Energon flow is steady... Cooling systems read out... Intake functioning at optimal efficiency... Good, coolant and oil pressure is steady. Clean bill of health, you're good to go. All you need now is a bit more energon. That cube I gave you three solar cycles ago was only good for about one-quarter of a tank. Go down a few rooms to the supply room, and Bulkhead will give you a cube. He's the green one."

Stripes was feeling a small tinge of thirst again, but nothing like when he was surviving off of premium unleaded. He was grateful for what Ratchet did.

"Thanks, Ratchet." Stripes said, getting out of the medical berth.

"That's what I'm here for." Ratchet said. Stripes then went down a few rooms and saw Bulkhead, whom seemed to be expecting him.

"Hey, kid. Doc told me to be expecting you." He opened some sort of crate, and got out one of the cubes like before, except it was slightly bigger. "This should be enough to fill your tank to full."

Stripes took one of the cubes and popped off the top the way Ratchet did on earth. He sipped a bit on the liquid energon. It tasted just as good as the first time. He smiled.

"So, you were a racer on earth? Seems like you had quite the need for speed..." Bulkhead asked, trying to make conversation.

Stripes' good mood dropped a few notches, his smile faded.. It pained him to think about what he used to be. What he couldn't go back to. Bulkhead immediately noticed the change, and felt bad.

"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't bring that up..." Bulkhead started.

"It's not your fault. Don't worry about it." Stripes said. "I'll... Just have to take it in stride, and... Eventually forget I ever lived that life."

Bulkhead put one of his hands on Stripes' shoulder joint. "I know it hurts, having to leave everything behind. We can only imagine what you're going through now, but just don't forget; We are all here for you. You are not alone."

Stripes could feel the tears welling up behind his optics. At least they cared, unlike the Decepticons. If anyone needed proof that these living machines had souls, this was it.

"A wise prime once told me, 'memories help shape us into who we are.' "Bulkhead continued. "I know it may hurt to remember your human life, but seeing how you were able to escape from the Decepticons and keep up your sanity in the process, I'd say remembering your human past would be worth more than any amount of pain they could ever inflict."

Stripes felt a tear stream down the side of his faceplate. "Life was beautiful back then. I remember rolling down the window when I drove on the highway. The wind blowing through my hair and across my skin... Every time I got up to race, I could feel the energy it gave me. Even in drag races, which only lasted a few seconds, I could feel it. Regardless if the race lasted minutes, or even just few seconds, I felt free. I felt... Whole. After a while of racing, I found someone whom felt the same way." He wiped the tear away with his hand.

Bulkhead saw where this was going. "You met a femme."

"Yeah." Stripes said, smiling again at the memory. "She was beautiful... In the human way. Feisty and charismatic. She also was not a bad driver, either. Her name was Mia Townsend."

"The undercover officer from Rockport." Bulkhead deduced, taking his hand off of Stripes' shoulder joint. "She was on the news when that happened."

"Yeah." Stripes said. "When she revealed herself to be a cop, she decided to let me get away. I never got to know why, but I know deep down she felt the same way I did. I could tell that from her driving when we first met. She was something special. One of those people that come along once in a lifetime. To be honest, I never was the same after my encounter with her."

Bulkhead's faceplate formed a smile. "Sounds like you two started to form the human equivalent of a spark bond."

Stripes once again was puzzled. Bulkhead then sheepishly tried to explain.

"Spark bonds... are formed among my people by... merging our core sparks together. It's a great sign of trust, and... even what a human would consider love."

"I see." Stripes sipped some more energon form the cube he held. He was intrigued, but could tell this was sensitive material form the way Bulkhead spoke about it. "Well, I guess I'll never know the truth, but that is the way I choose view it; That me and Mia were forming a bond."

Bulkhead's smile didn't fade one bit on hearing those words. If only their love had been given time to form the bond.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, that would soon happen.

Decepticon Dreadnought _Nemesis_

En route to Cybertron...

Megatron watched the two newly converted bots along with the femme as they emerged from their nanite pods, falling to the floor in robot mode, still in stasis. Their vehicle forms were automobile; One a black, flame painted Mustang GT, the second a heavily modified pursuit C6 Corvette. The femme, however, was extra special; a street racing Mazda RX-8 with red paint. Mia, Cross, and Razor. He figured he'd just let Cross and Razor keep their names. They were good enough. That would be familiar grounds for them. Mia would need a proper name, though. He still searched his databanks for one that would suit her. Though he was positive they would be able to recognize each other, and that Stripes would be able to recognize their forms in a heartbeat.

"Awaken." He purred loud enough for them to hear. They began to stir. The female was the first to get up as they stirred to life.

"What happened?" The femme asked, confused. She looked at her hands, then started to panic as she saw the rest of her new form. Megatron was unsurprised. Stripes did the same thing in his conversion. The female then saw Megatron, and screamed, backing up against the wall. That woke Cross. He bolted up and once he saw his changes, he too started to act rashly, lunging at Megatron.

He was prepared of course. He whipped out his sword and Cross stopped dead on the spot before he impaled himself on the sword.

"That would be unwise. I just gave you three new life." Megatron said.

"New life?" Cross snarled. "I'm a freak show now! What kind of life is that?!"

"Good god..." Razor said, looking over his form. "...What the hell is going on? Wait... This is all a dream. It must have been my drink... Yeah, someone spiked my drink..."

"I assure you, Razor, this is no dream or hallucination. This is real." Megatron said, looking over into Razor's orange optics. "I know this is confusing for all of you, but there is little time to explain. You've just been converted to Cybertronians, and your presence is needed to prevent a catastrophe."

He had Cross' attention in a snap. "What kind of catastrophe?"

"One of galactic significance." He lowered his sword, and walked past Cross and Razor to the scared Mazda, slowly extending his hand. This was the complete opposite of what Starscream did with Stripes; He had several drones pummel him in a beat down. According to Starscream, he thought it would "toughen him up." A big mistake. He wouldn't make the same one with these three.

"You must be thirsty, Miss Townsend." He said. "Come with me. I can take you to where you can get a drink to fill your fuel tank."

Mia, still unsure if this was real, slowly reached out and took his hand. He was right about one thing; she was thirsty.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Arrival

Bubmblebee worked the controls of the ship as Stripes watched Cybertron come into view outside the window. They had just arrived. Stripes was in awe as he looked at the planet. It was like a giant metal jewel. As they got closer, he could see parts of it's surface; canyons of metal, deserts of rust, and many other things he was having trouble wrapping his mind around.

"It's good to be home." Bulkhead said, as _Salvation_ landed at a small spaceport in the sea of rust, Stripes transfixed by the landscape. It was a flat plain of dust-covered, aged metal and concrete roads, with various spires and buildings in places. Cybertron's sun shone brightly through the clear sky, making the metal's scratchy, tarnished finish shine.

"Wow..." Stripes wispered when they touched down. "It's beautiful..."

Smokescreen gave him a strange look, but Knockout knew what he was referring to. "Yes, it does have its own kind of transfixed beauty, doesn't it?" He said, walking straight up next to Stripes, whom had to resist the urge to inch away.

"Well, we'd better move out to our base at Ieacon." Bumblebee said, going to the airlock. "It'll be about an hour's drive."

"Good thing we can pick up radio stations from earth thanks to the comm satillites." Bulkhead laughed. That made Stripes smile. He liked music. At least he still could listen in.

They exited the ship to the sparsely populated docking port. Only a handful of refugees had returned so far. They walked down to the main road, dust blowing by in the breeze.

"This is the road to Iacon..." Arcee sighed. "I still can't believe that no one has driven these highways in eons..."

"Eons?" Stripes looked at the road carefully. They looked nearly new.

"Yep." Arcee said. Stripes then got a mischievous look in his optics. The need for speed that could never be quenched on Earth...

"Well then, allow me to give it a trial run! Race you there!" Stripes ran forward, transformed, and peeled out, hitting sixty in seconds as Bulkhead yelled at him to wait up. Stripes then tuned to his favorite euro hits station, which ironically was playing the song Station to station by Derrek Simmons. The landscape blurred by, Stripes hitting speeds he could only could have imagined when he was on Earth! His tires kicked up a lot of dust as he went through a banked curve.

Bumblebee and Arcee were quick to catch up, but even they seemed to be having trouble matching Stripes' speed. Was he going that fast? He started to wonder. He poured on more speed, the thrill pulsing through his circuits as he left both of them in kicked-up dust. He didn't have a speedometer in front of him, but he could tell he was going more than two-hundred, which was the fastest he'd been able to hit on the Utah salt flats on Earth! He'd never gone this fast in his entire life!

The city appeared on the horizon after just a few minutes, but Stripes didn't pay much attention as he approached. He was going so fast! The feeling of freedom flowed though his circuits like quicksilver. It seemed that at any moment, he might pass into another dimension... A dimension only reached through speed...

He tapped his brakes, slowing himself just in time as he approached an exit ramp to the city of Ieacon. He then went into a drift, yelling as loud as his vocalizer would allow. This was incredible! He could get used to this, and was liking it already! He drove though the city's streets, drifting through each corner and intersection. Shortly, he got to the city's center, and power slid to a stop.

"Sweet! I win!" He yelled as he transformed, jumping up into the air with glee. "Ha ha! I bet I set a record!" He turned off his radio, and looked around. The city was empty! He then got the creeps, not just because the city was so empty and quiet.

He was having deja-vu. As if he had been here before. Then, it hit him, as he gazed upon the center tower.

This was the same city he saw in his dream!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

No moment of silence

"Uh... Hello?" Stripes called out. "Anyone here?"

Silence. He cautiously approached the building's entrance, when he heard Bubmblebee on his radio.

"Slag it, Stripes, come in!" He cursed.

"Bumblebee?" Stripes said. He knew right then that his radio doubled as a c.b.

"We thought we lost you! I told you to wait up!" Bumblebee snapped. "Where are you?"

"...I'm in Ieacon." Stripes said, looking up at the tower. "The center of the city... Well, At least I think it's the center of the city. I'm in front of a large tower that looks over it..."

"The old council building." Bumblebee deduced. "Alright, go inside the building, but _stay_ there and keep your tunes off unless we need a way to find you. The last thing we need is some Decepticon snatching you up out of nowhere."

"Okay. Point taken..." Stripes said.

Unfortunately, he didn't realize Cross and Razor creeping up on him until it was too late.

Cross and Razor had been silently creeping up, their feet pedes not making a sound. They saw Stripes' display of driving through the city, and had followed. Razor held a copy of the immobilizer in his hand. Granted, it wasn't as powerful as the original, but Megatron said it would do.

Razor got up right behind Stripes as he was talking to someone on his radio. He looked over to Cross. He was in position, and nodded to him. He was taking the shot.

He took the immobilizer and shoved it into Stripes' frame. He cried out in pain, arching his back and grinding his dental bands together. as the current ran through his body. He heard an Autobot yell for Stripes to respond over the radio, but to no avail. He soon went out cold, the foreboding envelope of stasis welcoming him in as he fell into Cross's arms before he even had a chance to hit the ground...

"Stripes! Stripes, come in! Slag it, say something!" Bumblebee yelled, as they raced towards the council building. They had just arrived in Ieacon, and were now on edge thanks to the latest radio transmission they received.

"I've got a fix on him, and two possible targets!" Ratchet said. Bumblebee surged ahead, Arcee right behind him.

They got to the council building, seeing two unknown bots, one with Stripes slung over his shoulder joint. One looked like it was a cop bot, with black and white paint, with siren lights on him. The other he didn't recognize at all.

Bumblebee and Arcee changed modes, aiming their arm cannons "Freeze!" Bumblebee shouted.

"Shit!" The cop bot said "Keep 'em busy, Razor! I need to signal our ride!"

"On it, Cross." Razor said. All the tips of Razor's fingers then opened up to reveal barrels. They were multi-barrled machine guns! "Freeze, huh? How about I just give you 'the finger' instead?" Razor snarled, firing.

"Take cover!" Arcee and Bee dove behind buildings as the street was blanketed by gunfire. Bumblebee then got on his radio.

"Ratchet, we need everyone over here! We need backup! Stripes is being abducted!"

"...And By Decepticons, no less!" Ratchet said.

That's when Bee noticed a shadow loomed over the city. It was the _Nemesis._

Bee turned his attention back to Razor, whom was still firing off rounds like no tomorrow. A ground bridge opened up, Cross and Razor running through it as they laid down covering fire. Bee got out from behind the corner he was using as cover, rushing forward in an attempt to get to Stripes before the ground bridge closed.

But it was too late. Cross and Razor stepped through the ground bridge, and it disappeared behind them. The _Nemesis_ then took off, fleeing the scene as it went into orbit.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Prophecy

Author's notes: NO MARY SUE-ISM INTENDED! I just hated it when Optimus and Cliffjumper died, so I'm gong to do something about it!

Stripes awoke from stasis, in a dark room. He immediately recognized where he was. He was on the Decepticons' dreadnought, _Nemesis_. He was in a recharge berth. In the same room where they had changed him into what he was now.

He bolted off the recharge birth, going for the door. It didn't open. He dug his hands in between the seals of the door, trying to force it open. No use. He struck his fist on the door control pad. Nothing. He tried to blow it open with his Gatling cannon, but even that wasn't functioning at the moment.

Desperate, he backed up and ran up to the door, leaping into the air, in trying to kick it down. He only succeed in making a dent. After several attempts with no results, he started to panic.

"LET ME OUT!" Stripes yelled repeatedly, punching the door in a frenzied fashion leaving small indentations of his fists. "MEGATRON, OPEN UP THIS GODDAMN DOOR _NOW_! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR MY, YOU SORRY SON OF A BITCH! WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE, I'LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES, _YOU HEAR ME?!_"

After several minutes of punching and screaming at the door, he fell to his knees, giving up. His intake took in air as if he couldn't get enough, his anger turning to hopelessness. He started to cry, energon tears going down his face again. He had been captured, and this time, there was no way out...

_Nemesis - _Bridge

Mia and the others watched Stripes' display on the screen with Megatron, whom let out a sigh from his throne.

"Do we have to keep him locked up?" Mia asked, turning to face Megatron.

"Uh, reality check, Townsend!" Cross intervened with a sneer. "He's kinda livin' la vida _loco_ at the moment! Or did you miss the memo?" He held his hand up near his head, spinning his index finger in the 'crazy' motion.

"Just why is he so special, anyway?" Razor piped up. "I'd scrap his ass right now..."

Megatron got up and walked over to Razor with intent to harm.

"No. You. Will. _Not._" He said, grabbing Razor by the neck and lifting him off the deck. "And you will _never_ even _THINK_ of doing _anything_ to harm him! _If_ you wish to keep your pipes! Is that clear?" He said, slightly tightening his grip.

"Crystal, sir..." Razor wheezed.

"Good." Megatron released Razor form his grasp, and he fell to the floor with a loud clang.

"Still, I don't see why we need to keep him locked up..." Mia continued.

"He doesn't know what role he is to play in the events to come. Forces intend to hunt him down to destroy him. He needs protection until then." Megatron said, sitting back down.

"Protection from who?" Cross asked.

Megatron sighed again. "In order for me to answer that question, you will have to answer a few of mine."

"Okay..." Mia said, uneasy. "Ask away..."

Megatron then proceeded to ask his questions. They were rather basic: When was he born, and who were his parents. Cross told him that when he was human, Stripes didn't have any parents, that he was an orphan. He made emphasis that he entered the justice system when he barely eight years old for joyriding. As for his current age, he was just twenty-four years old.

"Barely a youngling by Cybertronian standards..." Megatron muttered. "Primus, your kin has been so misguided..."

"Primus?" Cross asked.

"It's none of your concern." Megatron said.

"Really? Well, I think it is! If it has to do with Manuel!" Mia snapped with an attitude. Starscream's jaw dropped.

"...Did thou just 'sass' lord Megatron?" Starscream managed to say.

"What do you think, jet boy?" Mia replied, sassing him. Megatron was starting to like this femme. She was fiery, and anyone who could stand up to Starscream like that, was held in high regard in his book.

"Again, why is Stripes so damn special?" Razor piped up again.

Megatron growled. "Razor. Begone. Leave us..." He waved a clawed hand.

"Um... What?" Razor didn't like being bossed around.

"You heard the man, Razor." Cross said, shoving him into a nearby lift. "If he says make like Micheal Jackson and beat it, then you _make_ like Micheal Jackson and _beat it_." With that, the lift closed, with him inside.

Mia returned her gaze to Megatron. He looked back into her pink optics with surprising sincerity.

"I'm sorry you have to find out this way, Townsend." He said, regret in his voice. "But Stripes... Manuel... He was never human to begin with, and your questions confirmed my suspicions of that. He is part of a great legend of our people. A legend that is starting to coming true. I believe he is the son of Primus, our creator..."

Mia's optics widened. "What?"

"Show them the images of the tablets on the main viewer, Starscream." He ordered. Starscream did so. The main view screen of the ship changed from the view of cold space, to images of an engraved metal tablet. It almost looked a mix of Egyptian and Greek art, except for the symbols. Images of Both Autobots and Decepticons decorated the slabs, rallying around one being; A Cybertronian whom was descending from the arms of what she assumed was Primus, with what appeared to be robotic angel wings. Sword in hand, it looked as if it was getting ready to do battle with another godly figure, from below. Cross and Mia looked closer at the being descending from Primus' arms, and saw it!

"It's Stripes..." Mia whispered in awe.

"Yes." Megatron said. "He is destined to stop the third coming of Unicron. The chaos bringer. You could call Unicron, the 'Hades' of Cybertronian legend and myth. Show us the next tablet, Starcream."

The screen then flickered to a new tablet. Stripes was on it again, landing on earth as a human.

"The prophecy states that Primus transmitted a piece of his spark to a far away planet, to be born and hidden among it's people until he is needed, born to uncertain parents, prior to these events." The screen switched again, to Stripes in bot form, healing what looked like a wounded Autobot in his arms, with several others laying down on the ground around him.

"One of the myths of the son of Primus is that he will bring back those whom had fallen to stop Unicron's second incarnation, to aid him, including a prime. He will perform this miracle of breathing back life to several beings."

The screen then switched to a third tablet. This one showed Unicron erupting out of the surface of earth.

"According to the prophecy of the son of Primus, in one stellar cycle, or year, after his second defeat, Unicron will rise again, from the crust of the planet he was sealed in, to bring chaos and death to the universe. Starting with Cybertron. His second defeat was ten orbital cycles ago. In your time, that would be ten months."

The screen then switched to a tablet, showing the battle for Cybertron. "The son of Primus will not be without aid, according to the prophecy. Both Autobots and Decepticons shall join together to battle alongside him, to combat Unicron and his Allegiance. Unfortunately..." The screen then switched to what appeared to be the final tablet, and Mia gasped, her hands over her mouth. Even Cross' optics widened. It showed Stripes, fallen in battle, a prime holding his corpse.

"NO!" Mia cried, tears welling up in her optics.

"Unfortunately... he will be forced make the ultimate sacrifice, to save us all... I'm sorry." Megatron finished. Mia started to cry, sobs shaking her frame as she buried her optics in her hands, tears flowing. Megatron put a hand of comfort on her shoulder joint. It was all he could do. He couldn't say everything was going to be alright, because it wasn't. This would be a troubling time.

"...There is one more tablet, that may offer you some hope." He said.

"Why?" Cross asked with curiosity.

"Because it shows it." Megatron answered. The screen then switched to a final, damaged tablet. It showed hieroglyphics below Stripes, whom were on it in bot form, holding each hands with a bot in veils, as two sparks intertwined above them.

"The heiroglyphics read, 'the lover shall allow his spark to live on.' We could never understand that, as there was no mention of any lover in the prophecy until this point..."

Cross looked at the tablet, then at the crying Mia next to him. He always wondered if there was a thing between them. If this tablet meant what he thought it meant... could she be the one?


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Approaching Storm

Author's note: Listen to "Super Public Enemy" from the Devil May Cry 1 ost. It will add to the suspense.

Stripes had curled up in the corner of his room. Several times, Shockwave had come by and deposited Energon cubes through a slot that opened up in the door. He drank it only to keep his strength up, waiting for an opportunity came to escape.

His plan was to appear helpless. To appear venerable. Last time he escaped, he used brute force in the middle of one of Starsceam's ordered beat down sessions. To the naked eye, he looked curled up and powerless, but his body was actually in the right position to allow him to launch himself into a rapid tackle. His servos, struts, and pedes were filled with energy, similar to a coiled spring. Granted,it was uncomfortable to hold that much energy in one's limbs for long, but he managed it.

The door finally opened after what seemed like days. Shockwave was stepping in! He waited, as he stepped closer, and closer...

When he got in striking distance, Stripes took his chance. Springing out of his corner, he launched himself at Shockwave with as much brute force as his body could deliver, hitting him straight in the gut. They toppled over on the deck. Stripes then sprang off from Shockwave's body in a mad dash through the door, before anyone else showed up. He ran down several hallways, looking for a weapons room. Two decks down and several hallways later, he found a room with weapons; obviously someone's quarters, with Shockwave close behind. Alarms were already going off, signaling his attempted escape.

Stripes ran into the room. He needed to grab a weapon, and quickly. A gun would be useless on the close quarters of the ship. He needed a melee weapon.

He looked around, his optics darting around in a mad fashion. He saw a sword with a rather large blade on the wall; A cross between a Buster Sword and the Force Edge, the blade giving off a purple glow. He had played plenty of video games to know what that meant: Raw power. Without a second thought, he grabbed it and turned to face Shockwave. He was already in the room, with several Vehicons.

"Resistance is futile. Give up." Shockwave said.

Stripes got into a combat stance, gripping the sword with both hands. His face formed a defiant sneer, as he shouted his answer:

"NEVER!"

With that, he charged.

010001001111101010101010111101100110

Megatron ran down the deck with Mia and Cross, followed by Razor and Starscream. Somehow, Stripes had busted out and was in Megatron's quarters!

They could hear the sounds of a fight as they approached. Clanging of metal filled the air. As they neared the corner to Megatron's quarters, they saw the electrical sparks. Then, it happened.

There was an explosion, and several torn-up Vehicons flew from around the corner.

"Lord Megatron, I need backup!" He heard Shockwave shout. "Stripes has your Dark Star Saber..."

The next moment, Shockwave flew around the corner, a big gash in his body.

"Stay behind me, Townsend." Megatron cautioned. Mia was clearly scared. Stripes then walked out from the corner, Dark Star Saber in hand.

"Well, look who's here..." He said, looking at Megatron with a scowl. "Come to stop my escape, I guess?"

Megatron formed a combat stance. He would protect Stripes at all costs, even if that meant protecting him from himself! "Be warned, I was a mighty Kaon Gladiator once! I don't need a weapon to take down a novice!"

"Gladiator, huh?" Stripes said. He then waved his hand in a provoking gesture, his posture full of confidence. "Well, come on!"

They prepared to rush each other, but before the fight could begin, the ship shook abruptly. Everyone stumbled. Then Starscream was on the intercom.

"We are under attack!" He shouted.

Megatron recovered quickly. He charged at Stripes, whom swung the sword at him. He had no choice but to catch it with his hands. He started to use his brute strength to overpower the smaller mech, but Stripes wasn't about to let go...

Autobot scout ship _Salvation_

Bumblebee piloted _Salvation_ on an attack run with several other combat-worthy refugee ships, including the _Jack Hammer_.

"Attack patter Gamma-four-seven-two-zero! Take out those cannons!" Bumblebee said over the subspace radio. The ships maneuvered around the _Nemesis,_ coordinated in their attack. The space battle was furious. The _Nemesis_ had the advantage in size, but the smaller ships had maneuverability. So far, the match was even, but Bee refused to be intimidated. Megatron had already gone too far...

He would not let him rob anyone else of their lives...


End file.
